The Henry County Sheriff’s Office released the results of additional enforcement efforts funded by a federal grant program. The funds allowed extra patrol that resulted in the writing of more traffic tickets.
The Sustained Traffic Enforcement Grant provides funds to Illinois law enforcement agencies to step up patrol with the purpose of improving roadway safety, said Capt. Charles “Ben” Franklin with the HCSO.
“This is in addition to our normal patrol,” he said.
The money is used by agencies to conduct roadway campaigns that focus on key aspects of safety. The last two campaigns, conducted over Thanksgiving and a two-week period encompassing both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, focused on two issues, impaired driving/DUI and occupant protection, said Capt. Franklin.
The next campaign will be announced and is scheduled for St. Patrick’s Day. At that time, the extra patrol will focus on both impaired driving and occupant protection, said Franklin.
Franklin said the grant allows for extra officers to patrol the county.
“We’ve had four additional officers working, but that could change,” he said.
Since the start of the STEP Program, and with the additional enforcement efforts conducted through the federal fiscal year 2024, deputies have conducted 39 traffic stops, leading to the issuance of 36 traffic citations.
Twenty-five of those citations were for seat belt or occupant restraint violations; two were issued for distracted driving, while one ticket was given for no valid driver’s license. In addition, two speeding citations were issued along with six other various citations.
Capt. Franklin said the next pre-campaign will be announced soon. According to a release from the HCSO, the agency participates in the program in an “effort to save lives by focusing on the leading contributory causes of crashes” that includes speeding, impaired driving, electronic device use, failure to yield, disobeying traffic control devices and occupant restraint violations.
The STEP campaign is funded by federal highway safety funds and administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
